The Heretic

This book is a historical novel set in the time of Henry VIII. This is a popular topic at present with all the interest in Wolf Hall – the book by Hilary Mantel televised on BBC2. I bought it for hubby for Christmas and read it before him! On the cover are the words

1536 who will survive the new world order?

It is well-written and well-produced in paperback by Lion Hudson. There are maps and a list of characters to help the reader keep track of this long and involved story.

There is plenty of action, intrigue and mystery. The beliefs of the various characters and the changes in the country are woven into the story in a seamless way.

Henry Vyner-Brooks introduces each chapter with a phrase in dog Latin and its translation into English. Latin also appears occasionally in the text, with the translation in footnotes.

I enjoyed this book very much. It is not a particularly easy read, but the story made me want to keep reading one or two chapters at a time. To reach the end, I read well over one hundred pages in an evening, because I was immersed in the story.